with Krystal Kane , about Her Passion for Pro Bono Work
Krystal Kane is based in our Philadelphia office and serves as Blank Rome ' s Pro Bono Attorney .
Q : Why are you passionate about pro bono work ?
A : As attorneys , we have an incredible amount of privilege , and we have a moral and ethical duty to use that privilege to help those without it . I started doing pro bono work in law school , volunteering with the Domestic Violence Unit in Family Court , Pennsylvania Innocence Project , and the Irish Immigration Center . This allowed me to gain lots of experience working directly with clients .
It ’ s tremendously personally and professionally satisfying to be able to help someone move forward with their life in a positive way . You don ’ t always win in pro bono , but so many of our clients are just truly grateful that someone actually listened to their story and fought for the best outcome for them .
Q : What is your favorite pro bono cause ?
Q & A
A : Legal name changes for members of the trans + community . It ’ s incredibly easy legal work , but it ’ s truly life changing for our clients . People who are trans face a lot of discrimination and poor treatment just because their identification documents don ’ t match their appearance . One of my clients was actually turned away from his bank for trying to take funds out of his own account , because the teller saw his feminine birth name on his ID . I ’ ve met so many amazing and interesting people through my name change work , and it is a tremendous honor to get to help people live their best , most authentic lives .
I ’ m really proud that we have many attorneys and paralegals here at Blank Rome who now do this work , often in conjunction with our corporate clients . We are going to start working on name changes in Pennsylvania for trans + folks with felony convictions soon . Because trans + folks are marginalized in so many ways , they are disproportionally represented among people with criminal histories . The impact is even worse for trans + people of color , particularly Black transgender women . They should be able to live authentically with the safety of identification that matches their lived experience and identity .
Q : What would you tell those interested in getting involved in pro bono work but not sure where to start ?
A : I believe that everyone can and should do what they can to make the world a better place , but that it is really important for people to find the right opportunity or project . When talking with someone who is new to pro bono , I first ask them what causes they are interested in or passionate about . A lot of people are pleasantly surprised at the diversity of opportunities out there . For example , someone who loves animals and supporting shelters could do transactional work for a nonprofit animal shelter . For people who don ’ t yet have a strong interest , I invite them to an upcoming clinic . I find that once they attend one , they ’ re hooked and keep coming back .
I am also a big believer in pro bono as a training tool and a way to get more involved in the firm . Pro bono is a core piece of our firm culture and one of the best ways to get to know attorneys outside of your practice group .
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